Carrying bag having oppositely curved slots in upper panel portions of bag and flexible removable handle



FRANK 3,456,865 CARRYING BAG HAVING OPPOSITELY CURVED SLOTS IN UPPER July 22, 1969 c. H.

PANEL PORTIONS 0F BAG AND FLEXIBLE REMOVABLE HANDLE Filed Oct.

United States Patent Office 3,456,865 Patented July 22, 1969 3 456 865 CARRYING BAG HAvIN OPPOSITELY CURVED SLOTS IN UPPER PANEL PORTIONS OF BAG AND FLEXIBLE REMOVABLE HANDLE Carl H. Frank, 235 Winding Way, Merion, Pa. 19066 Filed Oct. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 678,255 Int. Cl. B65d 33/06 U.S. Cl. 229-54 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to paper-carrying bags of the type such as set forth in U.S. Patent 2,836,344, and more particularly relates to an improved carrying bag which, when closed, forms a square-shaped bag having a carrier handle extending from the top thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, two arcuate slots are placed in reinforced upper portions of the bag panels with the slots in registry with one another when the bag is collapsed, and the top thereof is open. When merchandise is placed inside of the bag, the two opposing panel top sections are folded atop one another along fold lines which are, in part, defined by elongated reinforcing fiber members, such that the arcuate slots are directed oppositely from one another, and define two openings in the region where the arcuate slot ends overlap. The ends of a flexible plastic handle, having enlarged end portions, are trapped in these openings so that the bag and its contents can be conveniently carried from the handle.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novel paper bag structure which can be adapted to have a carrying handle, and which is inexpensive t manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel paper bag having a carrying handle wherein the bag and handle can be easily assembled by inexperienced sales personnel selling merchandise which is placed within the bag.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a thin paper bag constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the fiber panels secured to the bag opening interior, and with the first bag panel top portion folded inwardly.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the bag of FIGURE 2 after the other top panel portion is folded over to complete the closure of the bag.

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the bag in its position of FIGURE 3 to illustrate the intersection of the ends of the oppositely directed arcuate slots in the bag panels.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the overlapping panels of FIGURE 3 to illustrate the connection of the flexible handle to the panels.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 5 taken across the section line 66 in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the flexible plastic handle of FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.

Referring now to the figures, there is illustrated a paper bag which can be made in any desired manner and could be a kraft paper bag having a sealed bottom portion, a front panel 11, a rear panel 12 and gusseted side portions 13 and 14. Note that bag 10 can be made of any desired material such as plastic film, as well as paper.

In accordance with the invention, reinforcing fiber strips 15 and 16, which may have a width of about three inches and lengths of about twelve inches and nine inches, respectively, are glued to the interior of panels 11 and 12, respectively, with the tops thereof lying along the top of panels 11 and 12, respectively. Strips 15 and 16 could be of any desired material having a greater rigidity than that of panels 11 and 12 and could be secured to the panels in any desired manner. The length of reinforcing strip 15 is the same as the length of panel 11, while the length of panel 16 falls short of the length of panel 12 by about two inches at either end.

Arcuate slots 17 and 18 are then stamped out of the collapsed panels 11 and 12 after gluing of fibers 15 and 16 thereto, whereby the slots 17 and 18 are of identical configuration, and are in alignment with one another along the center of strips 15 and 16. It will be noted that slots 17 and 18 are bowed downwardly on a radius of about eight inches, and have parallel extending end portions 19a19b and 20a20b, respectively.

A carrying handle 22, shown in FIGURE 7, is then formed for the bag and may be injection molded and formed of any suitable, flexible thermoplastic material. Handle 22 is formed in the shape of integral bead sections, thereby imparting considerable flexibility to the handle. The ends of handle 22 are then formed of enlarged semicircular sections 23 and 24, respectively. FIGURE 1 illustrates the flexibility of handle 22 from its normal, straight configuration to its dotted line, circular configuration.

In order to close the bag, the handle, 22 is inserted from the inside of the bag, through slot 17 as indicated in FIGURE 2. The upper portion of panel 11 is then bent downwardly, with the gussets on either end of panel section 17 bent under the panel. Thereafter and as shown in FIGURE 2, the extending gusset portions are deflected inwardly and the opposite panel sections, including strip 16, are bent downwardly with the user bringing the extending portion of handle 22 through slot 18 so that the bag is completely assembled, as shown in FIGURE 3.

As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, when the bag is folded, the end sections of arcuate slots 17 and 18 overlap, thereby defining two spaced openings through the bag top. Handle 22 extends through these aligned apertures, with the handle end sections 23 and 24 captured beneath the bag top, as best shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A carrying bag comprising a pair of opposing rectangular panels joined at their sides and at their bottom; first and second thin elongated strips having a greater rigidity than the rigidity of the material of said panels; said first and second strips secured to the interior surface of said first and second panels, respectively, and having top edges lying adjacent the top edge of said first and second panels, respectively; said first and second strips and the portions of said first and second panels receiving said strips having identical curved slots therein coextensive with one another and bending in the same direction when the interior surfaces of said first and second panels are collapsed toward one another; and a flexible carrying handle having enlarged end portions inserted from the interior of said first panel through said slot therein with said enlarged ends of said handle captured at the opposite ends, respectively, of said slot in said first panel; central portions of said handle being insertable through said slot in said second panel when the top of said first panel is turned inwardly of said bag and the top of said the ends of said first and second slots registering with one another when the tops of said first and second panels are closed on top of one another; said extending slots each having parallel end sections extending generally toward the radius of their curvature.

2. The carrying bag of claim 1 wherein said first and second panels are of paper and said first and second strips are of cardboard.

3. The carrying bag of claim 1 wherein said first and second strips are glued to said first and second panels.-

4. The carrying bag of claim 1 wherein said first and second strips are rectangular; said first strip having a length equal to the length of said first panel; said seclength of said panel.

' 5. 'The carrying bag of la'i'rn'l wherein said enlarged end portions of said handle are hemispherically shaped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,836,344 5/1958 Gatward. 3,115,294 12/1963 Gatward. 3,286,910 11/1966 Offenburger.

10 DAVID M. BOCKENEKQPrimary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

